Saw sharpener



March 10, 1953 J McEwAN' 2,630,721

SAW SHARPENER Filed June 10. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 M/ 1 5 N TOR v/AMEJ' MCEWA/V ATTORNE Y J. M EWAN 2,630,721

SAW SHARPENER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1953 Filed June 1950 owewran JANE! MCEWA/v :7 W 446. ATTORNEY J. M EWAN SAW SHARPENER March 10, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 10, '1950 i I T J ATTORNEY J. M EWAN SAW SHARPENER March 10, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 1 1950 lNVENTOR .um j Min AA B 74% 4% 4 TTOR/VE Y a M u :Q\ NR},

March 10, 1953 J McEwAN 2,630,721

SAW SHARPENER Filed June 10, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A 7' TORIVE Y Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,630,721 SAW SHARPENER James McEwan, San Jose, Calif.

ApplicationJune 10,1950, Serial No. 167,273

21 Claims; (01. 76-31) The. present. invention. relates. to saw sharpeners and is concerned more. particularly with the provision of an improved machine, for filing saws,. such as hand saws, in. which the operators skill is retained while, providing. for straight-line power operation of the file. itself in making the sharpening out against each tooth.

The invention has forits objects among others the provision of a saw filer in which a power driven. file. is supportedin. an unobstructed position above the saw for free visionof the operator in using the file on the work and for manual control of engagementof thefile with the work. as well as the amount of pressure imparted during the filing stroke. The. invention also. contemplates a floating mounting and support of the.

file. and for a straight-line transverse. movement thereof with respectto the teeth of a. saw, which straight-line movement. is. maintained. automatically during control of the file with respect The invention also provides for various. adjustments of; the machine,

to the work by the operator.

allof which are made. with reference to a focal point lying in the median center lineof a. three.- cornered file.

lhe above and. other objectsof. the invention will be apparent from the following description certain parts broken away and others shown in.

section.

Figure 7 is a sectional plan view taken as indicated by the line 'I'-'I in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line 38 in Figure 6.

Figure 9 (sheet 4) is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the construction ofthe vise.

operating handle.

Referring to Figures 1, 4, and. 5, the sawsharpener or filer of the instant invention includes a base in the form of a post Ill supported upon a suitable pedestal or the like andfupon which there is adjustably mounted for pivoting movement a frame structure II. The frame structure II in turn supports a floating frame I2, referred to in detailhereinafter, which carries a pair of upstanding arms I'3 between which the file I4 is carried. The arms I3 and the file I4 are reciprocated from a drive unit I6 with respect to a saw I! carried in a saw vise l8 mounted on a carriage Ill. The carriage I9 is slidable on a track 2|, as described in detail hereinafter, so that. the vise I8 and the saw I! can be manually positioned by means of a control wheel 22.

The control of the movement of' the file [4' with respect t the saw insofar as its vertical adjustment to engage the teeth of the saw and the side pressure exerted against the teeth, are controlled by the operator by means of a, handle 23. (Figure 1) attached to the floating frame I2 so as to control its sidewise and vertical movement. and likewise control the. movement of the. arms i3 and the file l4.

Saw vise and mounting-The saw vise l8- (Figures 1, 4, 5, 6, and. 9), comprises a. main vise member 3I having pivoted thereto at 32 a second vise. member 33 which. can be adjustably tightened with respect to asaw by means of a centrally disposed clamping. handle 34 pivoted in spaced ears 33a. of the member 33 and having an eccentric cam. 34a. abutting a. tension adjusting screw 3la carried by the vise. member 31. The screw 3Ia is provided with a screwdriver slot in its threaded end to. enable. adjustment of the ten.- sion of the clamp. Also, a stop projection 3.411 on the handle 34 enga es a wall of the vise member 33. The. main vise member 3| is adjustably mounted in end brackets 36. of the care riage l9 which are. connected by a pair of tie rods 35. Each end of the. vise member 3|, carries a pair of clamping screws 3-! engaged in respective arcuate slots, 38 of the end brackets 36 of thecarriage I3. The upper edges of the carriage brackets 36 are graduated at 39 to cooperate with respective index marks 4| on the saw vise. The. curvature of the slots 38 is such that their center lies in the median center line of the file I4 so that the adjustment of the saw and the saw clamp. is made with respect. to. this center line. Each. end bracket 36 of the carriage l9 has respective downwardly extending side portions terminating in inwardly facinggrooved flanges 4i (Figure 4) engaging the respective opposite sides the plate or track 2 I. A thrust-absorbing and guide stud 42 is (Figures 4 and 8) threaded in each of the flanges I of the brackets at the front of the machine for. sliding engagement with the bottom surface of the track 2|.

An overhead guard or shield 43 (Figures 1, 4, and 6) extends between end plates 44 of the track 2| and protects the track and. its associated parts from filings and other debris.

To provide for operator-controlled endwise movement of the saw vise and its support carriage on the track 2|, a chain 45 (Figure l) is suitably connected to the carriage [9 on its upper stretch and is trained about respective end supporting sprockets 47 carried by the track 2|. One of the sprockets 4! has its shaft 48 extended to carry the hand wheel 22. Suitable idler sprockets 49 are provided on the track 2| to engage the lower stretch of the chain.

File support.-The triangular file l4 (Figures 1, 2, and 3), has its ends detachably engaged within triangular sockets in respective similar file support sleeves 5| and 52 being held therein by means of respective clamping screws 53 threaded in the flanged inner ends of the sleeves. The sleeve 52 is supported in a pivoted collar 56 which is pivotally mounted by respective tapered support pins 51 in the forked end Eta of the cooperating arm l3. The sleeve 5| is mounted similarly. The support collar 56 has an upstanding arcuate fiange 6| provided with a series of arcuately arranged graduations or notches 62 (Figure 3) extending to either side of a central zero point for cooperation with a resilient adjusting arm 63 carried by the sleeve 52. The spring wire arm 63 can be sprung away from the flange GI and moved to select a desired angular adjustment of the file about its center, and because of its resiliency it will be retained in its adjusted position during operation of the machine,

To provide for straight-line back and forth movement of the file 14 with respect to the saw I T, the support arms l3 for the file M are mounted by a tandem arranged compensating linkage means so constructed with reference to the pivota1 supports 57 of the file I4 that straight-line back and forth movement of these points is obtained. For this purpose, each arm I3 is supported by a pair of pivotally connected H-shaped links 66 (Figure 4) depending from the respective sides of the floating frame structure l2 and connected to crank extensions of the arms I3. The arms i3 are connected at their lower ends by respective parallel links 61 to the lower portion of the frame structure l2.

To effect the reciprocating movement of the arms l3, the right hand arm l3, as seen in Figure ,4, is connected by a pair of links or connecting rods H with a pair of crank arms 12 carried by the output shaft 13 of the drive unit I6. The drive unit is in turn receives its power through a belt and pulley drive 14 from an electric motor '56 carried underneath the frame The drive unit l6 itself is carried by an L-shaped bracket Tl which extends through an apertured portion of the frame I I and is secured to a bracket 18 which supports the floating frame l2 as will be described. The two arms l3 are in turn connected by a two-arm-link I9 pivotally connected thereto. v

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the links 66 and 61 form the support for the righthand arm l3 and that the arm in effect pivots about a vertically floating pivot axis at its connection to the link 51. The extent of vertical float of this axis is controlled by the link 66 to compensate for the otherwise arcuate travel of a pivoted member and provide for straightline movement of the axis 5'! at the upper end of the arm l3. Thus the arms [3 are mounted for controlled endwise movement as they are reciprocated to compensate for their pivotal mounting and provide the straight-line movement of their upper end. This straight-line movement is effected as disclosed in connection with my co-pending application, Serial No. 779,001, filed October 10, 1947, now Patent No. 2,590,992.

The floating frame support bracket 18 (Figures 4 and 6) is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis in the frame H by means of tapered pivot studs 8| engaging respective sockets in the upper and lower ends of the bracket 78. The bracket 18 has respective upper and lower links 82 pivoted thereto and to the floating frame I2 providing a parallelogram linkage mounting therefor, with the weight of the floating frame I2 compensated for by a pair of springs 83 connected at their lower ends to the respective sides of the frame l2 and at their upper ends to the frame I I. To allow limited pivotal movement of the bracket 18 with respect to the frame II, respective rubber washers 85 are held adjustably on respective ears 18a of the bracket 18 by respective bolts 84 which pass freely through respective apertures in the ears 18a and the frame Wing nuts 84a on the bolts 84 serve to adjust the amount of limited yielding movement of the bracket 18 about its vertical axis and correspondingly limited sidewise movement of the floating frame |2, the arms l3 and the file M with respect to the saw in the saw vise.

From the above description, it is seen that the floating frame I2 is mounted for limited sidewise movement and for vertical movement with respect to the frame so as to provide corresponding movements of the file under control of handle 23, which is secured by studs and spacers 86 to a pad 81 on the upper link 82.

The frame I is pivotally mounted on the post I!) by means of spaced bosses 9| above a collar 92 secured on the post to support the frame |2. The lower boss BI is split and is provided with a clamping bolt 93 for securing the frame H in a selected angular adjustment with respect to the track 2| and the saw in the saw vise. The angularly adjusted position is indicated by the scale 96 on the frame H and a pointer 9! (Figure 5) on the track 2|. This angular adjustment is about a vertical axis intersecting the axes of adjustment of the file and the vise at the focal point of such adjustments.

In operation of the machine, the machine is first set up by adjusting the frame H to place the saw at the desired angular relation with re spect to the file [4 as far as transverse angle of the face of the tooth is concerned. The saw vise I8 is mounted in the desired angular adjustment on the carriage IQ for the desired tilt transversely of the saw with respect to the file, and the file I4 is adjusted by means of its control handle 63 to the desired angularity. The saw is placed in the vise l8 and the operator takes his place with his left hand on the wheel 22 and his right hand on the handle 23 for manual control of the feeding of the saw, and of the engagement of the file l4 with the saw, and the pressure of such engagement. Subsequently, tooth by tooth the saw I! is fed past the file M which is reciprocating back and forth in a straightline movement under power. When the operator has the saw ll properly positioned, he depresses the handle 23 which in turn carries the floating frame l2, the arms is and the file l4 downward-1y to engage thefile with the tooth of the saw during its stroke to the right as viewed in Figure 4. The: amountof pressure of the file downwardly and laterally is controlled by the operator by manipulation of the handle 23. When the operator releases pressure on the handle 23, the file and associated parts are re-- turned by the springs 83 and rubber washersili to their normal position.

It is seen that this. method of operation of the machine retains all of the skill and judgment of the operator insofar as the actual filing of a tooth is concerned while relieving him from the work of pushing the file and also maintaining an even stroke of the file. This type of operation not only lends itself to faster sharpening of saws but it maintains angular uniformity in three directions impossible to obtain by hand filing and also provides for increased life of the file itself as it is always properly stroked with respect to a saw.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of the invention. it will be understood that the invention is capable of both variation and modification from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a saw sharpener, a central support post, a saw vise carried by said support post to position the teeth of a saw in intersecting relationto the vertical axis of said post, a frame structure carried by said post for angular adjustment about said axis and with respect to said vise, a-floating frame carried by said frame structure for vertical movement and for transverse movement, a pair of arms extending upwardly from said floating frame at either side. of saidsaw vise, meansmounting said arms on said floating frame for simultaneous back-and-forth movement of the upper ends thereof, and a sharpening element carried by said arms.

2. In a saw sharpener, a central support post, a saw vise carried by said support post to position the teeth of a saw in. intersecting relation to the vertical axis of said post, a frame structurecarried by said post for angular adjustment. about said axis and with respect to said. vise, a floating: frame carried by said frame structure for vertical movement and for transverse movement, sup.

the vertical axis of said post, a frame structure carried by said post for angular adiustment about said axis and with respect to said vise, a floating frame carried by said frame structure for vertical movement and for transverse movement, a pair of arms extending upwardly from said floating frame at either side of said saw vise, means mounting said arms on said floating frame. for simultaneous back-and-forth.movement of the upper ends thereof, and a sharpening element carried by said arms and pivotally supported.

therein.

4. In a saw sharpener, a central support post, a saw vise carried by said support. post tonosition the teeth of a saw in intersecting relation to the vertical axis of said post, means mounting saidvise for sliding movement on said frame structure, a. frame structure carried by said post forangularadjustment about said axis and with,

respect to saidvise, a floating frame carried by said framestructure for vertical movement and for transverse movement, a. pair of arms extending upwardly fromsaid floating frame at either side of said saw vise, means mounting said arms on said floating frame for simultaneous baek-and-forth movement of. the upper ends thereof, and a sharpening element carried by said arms.

5. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw viseon said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure *past said vise, a compensating linkage mounting for each of said: arms on said structure to provide for back-and-iorthstraight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, parallel linkages: supporting said linkage mountings on saidstructure providing for bodily raising and. lowering movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, and a sharpening element car ried by said arms.

6. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise, a compensating linkage mounting for each of saidarms on said structure to provide for back and-forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, parallel linkages supporting said linkage mountings on said structure providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, said parallel linkages being carried by a member pivoted on said frame about a vertical axis, and a sharpening element carried by said arms.

7. In asaw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said. vise, a compensating linkage mounting. for each of said arms on said structure to provide for baok-and forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, parallel linkages supportin said linkage mountings on said structure providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, a manual control member for said parallel linkages, and a sharpening element carried by said arms.

8. In a saw sharpener; a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise, a compensating linkage mounting for each of said arms on said structure to provide for back-and-forthstraight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, parallel linkages supporting said linkage mountings on said structure providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, said parallellinkages being carried. by a member pivoted on -said frame about a vertical axis, a manual control member for controlling both vertical and pivoting movement of said linlrags and said linkage mountings, and a sharpening element carried by said arms.

9. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, means. including a manual controlmember for effecting back and forth movement. of said vise on said frame structure, a pair of support arm-s extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise. a compensating linkagev mounting for each of said arms on said structure to provide for baek-and-forth straight line movementof. the upper ends of said arms,

parallel linkages supporting said linkage mountings on said structure providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, a manual control member for said parallel linkages, and'a sharpening element carried by said arms.

10. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, means including a manual control member for effecting back and forth movement of said vise on said frame structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise, a compensating linkage mounting for each of said arms on said structure to provide for back-and-forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, parallel linkages supporting said linkage mountings on said structure providing for bodily raising and lowerin movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, said parallel linkages being carried by a member pivoted on said frame about a vertical axis, a manual control member for controlling both vertical and pivoting movement of said linkages and said linkage mountings, and a sharpening element carried by said arms.

ll. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise, a compensating linkage mounting for each of said arms on said structure to provide for back-and-forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, parallel linkages supporting said linkage mountings on said structure providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said linkage mountings and said arms, said parallel linkages being carried by a member pivoted on said frame about a vertical axis, and drive means mounted on said pivoted member for effecting back and forth movement of said arms and said sharpening element.

12. In a saw sharpener, a central support post, a saw vise carried by said support post to position the teeth of the saw in intersecting relation of the vertical axis of the post, a frame structure carried by said post for angular adjustment about said axis and with respect to said vise, a floating frame carried on said frame structure for vertical movement and transverse movement relative thereto, spring means supporting said floating frame, resilient means providing for limited transverse movement of said floating frame, a pair of arms extending upwardly from said floating frame at either side of said saw vise, means mounting said arms on said floating frame for straight-line back and forth movement of the upper ends thereof, a sharpening element carried by said arms, and a control handle connected to said floating frame for manual control of the vertical and transverse movement of said floating frame and thereby of said arms and said sharpening element.

13. In a saw sharpener, a central support post, a saw vise carried by said support post to position the teeth of the saw in intersecting relation of the vertical axis of the post, a frame structure carried by said post for angular adjustment about said axis and with respect to said vise, a floating frame carried on said frame structure for vertical movement and transverse movement relative thereto, spring means supporting said floating frame, resilient means providing for limited transverse movement of said floating frame, a pair of arms extending upwardly from said floating frame at either side of said saw vise, means mounting said arms on said floating frame for straight-line back and forth movement of the upper ends thereof, said mounting means for each arm including a horizontally disposed link pivotally connected between said arm and said frame and a vertically disposed link pivotally connected therebetween, a sharpening element carried by said arms, and a control handle connected to said floating frame for manual control of the vertical and transverse movement of said floating frame and thereby of said arms and said sharpening element.

14. In a saw sharpener, a central support post, a track on said post, a saw vise slidably carried by said track to position the teeth of the saw in intersecting relation of the vertical axis of the post, a frame structure carried by said post for angular adjustment about said axis and with respect to said vise, a floating frame carried on said frame structure for vertical movement and transverse movement relative thereto, spring means supporting said floating frame, resilient means providing for limited transverse movement of said floating frame, a pair of arms extending upwardly from said floating frame at either side of said saw vise, means mounting said arms on said floating frame for straight-line back and forth movement of the upper ends thereof, a sharpening element carried by said arms, and a control handle connected to said floating frame for manual control of the vertical and transverse movement of said floating frame and thereby of said arms and said sharpening element.

15'. In a saw filing machine, a pair of opposed arms having respective forked ends for supporting a file extending across a working space, a saw vise for supporting a saw in said space, a pair of mounting sleeves for said file, means mounting one of said sleeves in each of said arms for rotative adjustment therein, each of said mounting means being pivotally connected in one of said forked ends about a horizontal axis, a flange extending upwardly from one of said mounting means, and a resilient arm carried by one of said sleeves and engaging said flange to indicate and retain an angular setting of the file.

16. In a saw filing machine, a pair of opposed arms having respective forked ends for supporting a file extending across a working space, a vise for supporting a saw in said space, a pair of mounting sleeves for said file, means mounting one of said sleeves in each of said arms for rotative adjustment therein, each of said mounting means being pivotally connected in one of said forked ends about a horizontal axis, a flange extending upwardly from one of said mounting means, and a resilient arm carried by one of said sleeves and engaging said flange to indicate and retain an angular setting of the file, and. support means for said arms providing for straight-line movement of the portions thereof containing said horizontal axes.

17. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise on opposite sides of said vise, a sharpening element carried between said arms and extending across said vise, means mounting each of said arms for back and forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, support means on said structure for said mounting means providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said arms and said elements with respect to saw vise, and a manual control member for controlling said support means.

18. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise on opposite sides thereof, means mounting each of said arms for back and forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, support means on said structure for said mounting means providing for bodily raising and lowering movement of said mounting means and said arms, said support means being carried by said frame structure for transverse movement lengthwise of said vise, and a manual control member for controlling both vertical and transverse movements of said arms and sharpening element.

19. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly past said saw vise, a sharpening element extending between said arms and across said saw vise, and means disposed below said saw vise for supporting and controlling movement of said arms and the sharpening element carried thereby with respect to a saw in said vise, said support arms and said element comprising the sole obstruction to an operators view of a saw in said vise.

20. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise on opposite sides thereof, a sharpening element extending between said support arms and across said vise, and means mounting each of said arms on said structure to provide for back and forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, said support arms and said element comprising the sole obstruction to an operators view of a saw in said vise.

21. In a saw sharpener, a frame structure, a saw vise on said structure, a pair of support arms extending upwardly from said frame structure past said vise on opposite sides thereof, a sharp- 1O ening element extending between said arms and across said vise, means mounting each of said arms on said structure to provide for back and forth straight line movement of the upper ends of said arms, said mounting means also including means providing for bodily raising and lowering of said arms and said sharpening element and means providing for transverse movement thereof with respect to said saw vise, a manual control member carried by said frame structure for controlling the vertical and lateral movement of said arms and said sharpening element with respect to said saw vise, and power operated means for effecting said back and forth straight line movement of said arms.

JAMES MGEWAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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